<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Before He Wakes by CarnivalMirai</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26238739">Before He Wakes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarnivalMirai/pseuds/CarnivalMirai'>CarnivalMirai</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hannibal (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adoption, Alternate Universe - Dreams, Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Tragedy, Bittersweet Ending, Fear of Abandonment, Grief/Mourning, Hannibal Lecter Loves Will Graham, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Letters, M/M, Mention of Child Abuse (not by Will), Parent Will Graham, Past Child Abuse, Post-Episode: s03e13 The Wrath of the Lamb, Post-Fall (Hannibal), Someone Help Will Graham, Will Graham Loves Hannibal Lecter, kind of you’ll see</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:15:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,187</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26238739</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarnivalMirai/pseuds/CarnivalMirai</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Will doesn’t expect to see Luka’s manifestation of Hannibal. It’s not like Hannibal is a generic idea— like Christmas, or holidays, or children’s story books. Hannibal has a specific imagery, one that Luka hasn’t even fully grasped. But still, Will sees him. </p><p>Will chokes on a sob as an image of his lover appears at the foot of his bed. Hazy, yet present and vibrant. There’s no way. This isn’t Luka dreaming. Luka barely knows who this man is. </p><p>Or: Hannibal dies after the fall. After years of grieving, Will is finally ready to fill the hole Hannibal left with a child. A child whom he discovers has a rather special ability.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>96</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Before He Wakes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is based off the movie “Before I Wake”! I thought it’d make a really sweet AU 🥺<br/>I wasn’t sure how to tag this, so if you think anything needs adding let me know?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Come on, Hannibal, Hannibal!” Will is shaking and cold, muscles aching from exertion. They had hit the water with a bone-crushing crash. Will had felt the chill of the water right through his body. Hannibal had taken most of the impact, leaving Will in a much more desirable condition. But Will didn’t care about that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hannibal lays on the shore, unconscious and Will isn’t even sure he’s breathing. Will’s cold fingers touch the pulse point on his neck. He feels heartbeat, but it’s so, so faint. And it’s getting slower as every second goes by. Will feels his heart racing in his chest as he brings both hands to Hannibal’s chest and presses with as much force as his tired arms can muster. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“H-Hannibal, come on, please…” Will begs, bringing their lips together to blow. Hannibal’s lips are so, so cold. His whole body is freezing. Will’s arms strain and his whole aches as he holds his weight above Hannibal, but he doesn’t care. He needs this man alive. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will barely knows who he is without Hannibal. The thought of losing him, the thought of being lost without him is a torturous kind of pain Will doesn’t know if he can bear. Even during those three years they were separated, at least Will always knew where to find Hannibal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Hannibal, please, come on… don’t leave me again.” Will swallows a thick lump in his throat. The sea breeze has him shivering, has his limbs trembling and breaths shuddering as he tries to get Hannibal to just </span>
  <em>
    <span>breathe. </span>
  </em>
  <span>To get his heart going. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will’s hands are tired, but not tired enough to stop giving CPR. The waves crash behind them, and they only spur Will on more. “Come on, wake up for me, Hannibal…” Will swallows thickly as he grabs Hannibal’s hand, lacing their fingers and squeezing his cold, calloused fingers, hoping, praying to feel some warmth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hannibal, Hannibal, come on, please, breathe for me…” Will could do nothing but beg for Hannibal to wake up. His face is so pale, lifeless. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will can’t even begin to imagine life without Hannibal. Yes, they’ve been separated for years, but Will always knew that if he needed Hannibal, he’d be there. But if Hannibal died, it wouldn’t matter how much Will needed him. He wouldn’t be there anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will has truly taken Hannibal’s love for granted. Hannibal is the only person to truly love him, love all of him. Love the man, love the monster, and everything in between. Despite all the betrayals, all the lies, Hannibal’s love for him has never once dwindled. Will is only just beginning to realise this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If Hannibal dies, Will is going to regret this for the rest of his life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>——————————————————————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will regrets it, for the rest of his life, taking Hannibal’s love for granted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will collapses over Hannibal’s body. He’d felt Hannibal’s arms weakly curl around his body, watched as Hannibal’s mouth opened, but no words came out. He’d felt Hannibal’s hand tremble as it gripped his shirt. Will had nuzzled into his chest— one last embrace before he felt Hannibal’s last breaths. He felt Hannibal’s hand fall from his body, felt his pulse slow… and slow… and slow… until it stopped. And it didn’t come back. That was the moment Will’s whole world shattered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sobs. As much as his hoarse, sore throat allows. His fists tremble as they grip Hannibal’s shirt, holding on as tightly as he can. He rests his head over Hannibal’s heart, still under his heart. It should be beating, </span>
  <em>
    <span>it should be beating. </span>
  </em>
  <span>But it isn’t. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will doesn’t know if he can live without Hannibal. When he pulled them over that cliff, he expected both of them to live. Or both of them to die. He would have been content with either outcome. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What he didn’t account for, however, was one of them dying. Was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hannibal </span>
  </em>
  <span>dying. They either die together or they live together. But fate has a funny way of working— a way that has left Will alone, stripped him of his lover. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the FBI finds them, Will is completely dazed. Dazed, but conscious. He’s draped over Hannibal’s lifeless body, shaking and in shock and from there… it’s all a blur. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>——————————————————————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It takes three weeks for Will to rouse from the medically induced coma, and his first instinct is to call out for Hannibal. He chokes on the tube down his throat, almost coughing it up as he panics, trying to gauge the unfamiliar surroundings— the hospital. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Will!” Molly? What was she doing—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then it hit him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had killed Hannibal. By taking him off the cliff side. Crushing guilt weighs heavy on his heart as he chokes on a sob, the tube down his throat constricting and invasive as tears flow down his face. He feels claustrophobic. Like he’s suffocating. And now, he doesn’t know what to do without Hannibal. He doesn’t even know who he is anymore. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He goes home. To Molly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It doesn’t feel right. He should be on the run with Hannibal. This isn’t the life he chose. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Molly nurses him back to health. She can see Will just isn’t the same. Will never elaborates on what happened that night, or how they ended up at the bottom of that cliff. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He silently mourns and grieves. He tries not to read all the </span>
  <em>
    <span>TattleCrime </span>
  </em>
  <span>articles. About Hannibal’s death, about Will mourning over his body on the shore, about his coma. He feels guilty for loving Hannibal. For loving the monster everyone wished death upon. He feels defeated, that everyone got their wish and he didn’t. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will can barely bring himself to talk to Molly. He feels awful for not loving her the way she deserves, but he just </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Not after coming to terms with the fact that he’s only ever wanted Hannibal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He barely sleeps. How can he sleep, knowing he killed the man he loved? It plagued him every waking moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jack comes by a few weeks into his recovery to get a statement from him. Will doesn't lie. He easily could tell Jack that Hannibal pulled them over the cliff but he didn’t. He tells Jack he intended to either live or die with Hannibal. It’s not a crime to want to live with the one you love. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After all this time, Jack still wants to protect him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The narrative changes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hannibal took them over the cliff that night. Will, again, was severely injured in the course of justice, in apprehending a dangerous serial killer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That story hurts Will to even read. But it gets him off charges of obstructing justice. It gets him off charges for the murder of Francis Dolarhyde, but it doesn’t feel right. It’s something he and Hannibal did together. Their first and last kill together, and Will can’t even embrace it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Occasionally, Will digs out Hannibal’s journal. The one he left behind the night he was arrested, the one full of Hannibal’s attempts to crack time travel. The equations are nonsensical. Will can’t figure out what they mean. But he still studies them, in hopes of figuring it out. He knows he won’t. Hannibal was a genius, but even </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>isn’t that intelligent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He leaves Molly. Properly, this time, a year after his recovery. Molly had seen it coming, she even said, and it makes Will feel even more guilt that Molly just knew he didn’t love her. Not in the way he did before. Even then, Hannibal was in the back of his mind but now, Hannibal is in the front of his mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Often, he seeks out his lover in their memory palace. But he finds himself sitting in the Palermo Chapel alone, just waiting for Hannibal to meet him there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It takes Will years to pick himself back up. He manages his encephalitis, he gets another job, teaching this time, at a university. He could have gone back to the FBI if he wanted, but it’s too painful. It’s where he first met Hannibal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Often he goes back to Hannibal’s house and just… sits there. He reminisces in the night he got himself gutted. The night he should have eloped with Hannibal. He reminisces in all the dinners, all the impromptu visits, all the conversations in the kitchen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The house sits abandoned. Murder houses don’t fetch big money after all. He goes back every day until one day, he finds that the land has been sold, and the house is set to be demolished. It’s heartbreaking— another place in his memory palace will cease to exist in the real world. Soon Hannibal’s home will be a place only in their memory palace. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He thinks about him for the years to come. He’s stable, he’s achieving, he’s on a good career path— again. His dogs are happy and healthy but he’s lonely. He’s missing something in his life. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will ponders on the thought of… a child. Adopting a child. Giving a child a loving and safe home. But it’s a scary thought. His history with children is… not good. He couldn’t protect Abigail. He couldn’t protect the child Margot carried. Why would he be able to protect this one? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He still thinks about it though. In fact, he thinks about it even without realising. He wonders if this time, he can give a child a forever home. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>——————————————————————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It takes Will over a year of thinking to decide he’s ready to adopt. It’ll be difficult, being a single parent with a job, but he can do it. He knows he can. His life is normal. Really normal this time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By this point, it’s been close to three years since Will lost Hannibal. Every year on the twenty ninth of August he thinks back to that night. Back to the night he lost the love of his life. He’ll never love anyone the same way he loves Hannibal, but that doesn’t mean he can’t fill the gap in his heart with someone else to love. A child to love. Someone he can care for and nurture and give a good life, despite all the chaos he had in his own. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’s visited the orphanage a handful of times, bringing gifts of books and and notepads and stationary and clothes. But now he’s more serious about adopting, and he visits more frequently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The children are all so sweet, so eager for his attention, but Will is drawn to one child. He’s quiet, he’s shy, he seems scared. So Will makes more of an effort to get to know him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It breaks Will’s heart to know Luka has bounced from household to household. He doesn’t care why, this child is sweet at heart, and he just wants a loving family, even if it’s just one man and seven dogs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They bond over Will’s dogs. He shows him photos, tells him stories, even brings Winston in for Luka to meet. One evening, just as Will is about to leave, Luka asks him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to bring me home?” And </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh, </span>
  </em>
  <span>it breaks Will’s heart. He kneels down to him, grasps his hands, and smiles. He too, has thought about this for months. So quickly this child has wormed his way into Will’s aching heart, and Will has so frequently found his heart warmed and fulfilled by the time he spends with Luka. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll try my best.” He promises. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will means it too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He fights tooth and nail for this child. He’s spent time in federal prison, he’s tangled himself into a web with a serial killer, he’s murdered and killed, he’s just one man with one source of income and a full time job. But that does not stop Will from proving he can provide for this child. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This battle with the adoption agency goes on for six months before he finally wins. And in those six months, he visits Luka every day. He reads him books, tells more stories about his dogs, teaches him how to read. Luka has already grown so attached, and Will finds his heart sinking every time he tucks Luka into bed and has to leave the orphanage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>——————————————————————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the adoption papers come through Will’s door, he can finally, </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally </span>
  </em>
  <span>tell Luka to pack his bags. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have something for you.” Will says, the next time he visits. There are two social workers with him, and at the sight of them, Luka looks terrified. But the smile on Will’s face reassures him as he pulls out an envelope and hands it to Luka, who tentatively takes it. “Open it.” He encourages. So Luka does. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inside is a card. It’s handmade by Will, with nice writing and glitter, and some very badly drawn smiley faces. “Read it.” Will smiles. Luka puts his reading skills to the test, ones that Will has helped him with. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Con… congrat… congratulations…” Luka reads, with Will’s help, as Will covers parts of the word to help break it up. “On… your… for… ever… h-home…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tears fill Luka’s eyes as he processes the card, and he keeps reading. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dear Luka,” Will reads from over his shoulder, “fold your clothes and pack your toys,” he continues, “and call me </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dad.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Will glances at Luka’s whose cheeks are puffy and red, face tear stained. “After tonight, we’re going home.” Will’s hand cards through Luka’s hair as he puts the card away and presents him with adoption papers, all signed and dated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luka turns in his grasp and wraps his arms around Will’s neck and sobs. Will lets out the sweetest laugh as he holds the boy, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>god, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he hasn’t felt this fulfilled since his last embrace with Hannibal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>——————————————————————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s that first night, when Luka settles down for bed, when Will realises why Luka has bounced from home to home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He tucks Luka into bed, kisses his forehead and nods him goodnight. He turns on the moon lamp on the bedside cabinet, runs his hand through his fringe, and wishes him sweet dreams. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Read to me?” Luka requests. “Like you did before…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So Will smiles. He picks up a book— </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Very Hungry Caterpillar— </span>
  </em>
  <span>and makes himself comfortable at the edge of Luka’s bed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf.” Will begins. “One Sunday morning, the sun came up and pop— our came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will reads to him, shows him all the pictures, all to see the little boy smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good night… daddy…” and Will’s heart swells with adoration. It’s the first time Luka has referred to him as a parental figure. It’s monumental. It’s sentimental. And Will will cherish it forever. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good night, Luka.” Will stands up from his bedside, lingers by the door, and with a final smile, he closes Luka’s bedroom door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will settles in the front room, his dogs at his feet in front of the fire as he picks up a book. A book taken from Hannibal’s library. He doesn’t know what half these sentences mean, but it doesn’t matter. Hannibal treasured literature, and Will wants to appreciate it too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’s interrupted, however, when he sees… </span>
  <em>
    <span>something. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It’s… the caterpillar— </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Very Hungry Caterpillar. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, come on.” Will grumbles to himself, thinking it’s his encephalitis. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He rubs his hands over his eyes— he can’t believe what he’s seeing. A fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>caterpillar </span>
  </em>
  <span>dancing around the room. There’s no way this isn’t a hallucination. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But then— that manifestation turns into something more realistic. More believable. That hallucination turns into </span>
  <em>
    <span>Luka. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s Luka, holding a suitcase. It’s as if Will is watching Luka dream. He sees himself helping Luka out of the car— and then he sees himself get back </span>
  <em>
    <span>in </span>
  </em>
  <span>the car. Why has he left Luka behind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Daddy!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>There's a terrifying shriek coming from Luka’s room as the manifestation disappears. Will gets up and rushes to Luka’s room, bursting through the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luka. Is everything alright?” Years stream down Luka’s face as he sits up in bed, sobbing. Immediately, Will climbs onto the bed and holds his son close. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luka clings to his chest, hands fisted in Will’s t-shirt as he sobs, chest heaving with every cry as he holds on as tight as his little fists can muster. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s okay,” Will coos. “Tell me what’s the matter?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t leave me, Daddy…” Luka hiccups. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why would daddy leave you?” Will questions gently, feeling Luka’s grip on his shirt tighten. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I saw it…” Murmurs Luka through tears. “I dreamt that… that you left me…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then it all makes sense. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s Luka’s dreams Will is seeing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But surely that can’t be. How is that even possible? Will pushes the thought to the back of his head for now, in order to comfort his son. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s okay.” He reassures, nosing the crown of his head. “I won’t leave you. I promised you a forever home, didn’t I?” Will recalls. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They all did.” God, it breaks Will’s heart. He doesn’t know how to reassure him, but Will tries his best. He’s about to speak again when the door creaks, and Buster comes in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Want to cuddle up with Buster?” Wearily, Luka nods. Will clicked his tongue at Buster. “Buster, here boy.” At Will’s instruction, Buster jumps up onto the bed. “There. How’s that?” He asks as Buster clambers onto Luka’s legs. Luka doesn’t respond, he only nuzzles into Will’s chest further. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would you like me to sleep here with you tonight?” Luka nods, to which Will smiles. He shuffles down the bed, makes himself comfortable, and pulls Luka into his arms. “How’s that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you Daddy…” Mumbles Luka, still sniffling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good night, Luka.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good night… Daddy…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It happens again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will sees the character of the book he’s just read Luka. The characters dance around, the colours bright, and then they dim. And it’s the same manifestation of abandonment that Will had seen the night before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The night repeats. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Daddy!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Immediately, Will is by Luka’s side again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After the third time he sees these manifestations, Will checks himself in for a psychological evaluation, as well as a medical appointment to check up on his encephalitis. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luka accompanies him. He sits patiently in the chair beside Will while he goes for his evaluation, and when he goes for his brain scan, he waits in the children’s play room, with the promise that ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>daddy will be back soon,’. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So Luka waits and waits. And waits. But Will is taking a long time, and his fear that Will might leave plagues his head again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tears well in his eyes, hands shaking as he plays with the toy train in his hand. He tries to fight them back— Will promised he’d be back, after all. But it seems like forever. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s only been a few days though… maybe Daddy doesn’t want him anymore. That thought only makes the tears flow more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luckily, however, Will returns just in time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will’s heart almost stops in his chest when he sees his son, cheeks flustered and tear stained as he kneels on the foam covered floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Baby?” He croons, concerned as he crouches down to Luka. “Why are you crying?” Luka turns to face him, and immediately jumps into his arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Daddy…!” Luka hiccups as Will’s arms envelope him. “You took ages.” He mumbles, sniffling through tears. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, darlin’.” Sighs Will, holding him tight. “The test took longer than I thought it would. But I’m back now, aren't I?” He pulls back and cups Luka’s face, thumb brushing away Luka’s tears as he smiles. Luka nods. “Shall we head home?” Luka nods again. “Come on, then.” Will stands up and grasps his hand, squeezing it tight to further reinforce the idea that Luka’s home with Will… is </span>
  <em>
    <span>forever. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tests come back perfectly normal. His encephalitis is under control, he’s perfectly stable. So it further reinforces his thought that perhaps it’s Luka’s dreams he's seeing. And perhaps that’s why he’s bounced from family to family. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That evening, Will pulls out his file and reads it again. Luka has been previously adopted by three families. One of which returned him, citing </span>
  <em>
    <span>unusual experiences, </span>
  </em>
  <span>another of which dumped him by the roadside, and the third… who had abused him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will had already known that he’d been previously adopted. But he didn’t care about why they didn’t want Luka— only that Luka was now his son. There are no details about Luka’s dreams, but… what other reason could there be, for abandoning and abusing such a well behaved, good kid? Will can’t even begin to fathom it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But is it really his dreams? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How is that even possible? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will is skeptical. Sometimes he sees these manifestations and other times he doesn’t. And he still can’t quite find an answer for the unfamiliar phenomenon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>——————————————————————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luka dreams about pretty butterflies and colourful birds. He dreams about holidays and sunny vacations and cold winters. Occasionally, he has a nightmare of Will leaving, but Will is quick to his bedside to reassure him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They talk about how their first Christmas will be. How they’ll put up a tree and decorate it, how they’ll put up Christmas lights and decorate the walls of their Wolftrap home. How they’ll build snowmen together and open gifts together and bake together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that night, Luka dreams about Christmas. About snow, about reindeers, about pretty lights. They bake and decorate houses together in his dreams, and Will helps him put the star on the tree. Will sees it all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This phenomenon of Luka’s is impressive. Delightful. It’s amazing to see all of Luka’s dreams, and it still baffles Will how this… ability of his could drive away so many families. Not that it matters now. Luka has a safe home here with Will. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>——————————————————————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>August the twenty ninth rolls around faster than Will even expected. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sits on the sofa, and Luka is on the floor with the dogs, stacking brick upon brick as he plays with a box of Lego. Will picks up his wallet and opens it to reveal a distressed photograph of Hannibal in the plastic pocket. Okay, it’s his mug shot, but it’s the only photograph of Hannibal he could get his hands on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s laminated, but the plastic is beginning to peel as he pulls it out of his wallet. His fingers caress the edges of the photograph as he recalls all their intimate moments. The moments Will cherishes the most. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From their flirting, to their embraces, to their reunion at the Uffizi Gallery. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If I saw you everyday forever, Will, I would remember this time.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Every single one of these memories brings regret. If only he’s gone with Hannibal. Those three chances Hannibal gave him to run away and Will took none of them. What if he had? Would Hannibal still be alive? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He supposes, however, there's a silver lining to everything. If Hannibal didn’t die, he wouldn’t have Luka. And Luka wouldn’t have him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t notice Luka clamber up onto the sofa. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who’s that, Daddy?” Luka asks, tucking himself up against Will’s shoulder. Smiling wearily, he leans back against the arm of his sofa and invites Luka to sit between his legs. He hands Luka the photograph to study. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Someone I loved.” Explains Will. “I lost him… four years ago in… in an accident.” A sad smile crosses his face as he stares at the photograph, Hannibal’s cheekbones ever so sharp and recognisable. “He would have been your Daddy too.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That’s not entirely true. In fact, not true at all. If Hannibal we’re still alive, they wouldn’t have adopted a child. First of all it would have been impossible, and kidnapping is not their style. But Will wants Luka to think of him that way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” Luka mumbles. “Tell me more about him, Daddy?” Will lets out a soft huff. He’ll have to make some things up. He wants Luka to know Hannibal as… a man who would have made a good father. Even if deep down, he wouldn’t have. Will wants Luka to have no bad or sour feelings about Hannibal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well… we met when I was working for the FBI.” He begins. “He accompanied me to work, helped me figure things out and organise my thoughts.” Will recalls with a fond smile. “He’d bring me breakfast in the morning, drive me out to work on the field… he’d sit in my lectures.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was he a nice man, Daddy?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No. Far from it. But I loved all of him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Will lies. “He wasn’t perfect. Not by any means.” He smiles. “But… he accepted me. All of me. Even the parts I wasn’t ready to recognise.” That part is true. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would he have loved me too, Daddy?” Will can answer that with certainty. Even though Hannibal killed Abigail, and killed his biological son by proxy, Will is still certain Hannibal would have adored him, if their lives were normal. If their lives weren’t a chaotic mess. Hannibal would have adored Luka, because Will adores him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will enjoyed the idea of a child when they unofficially took Abigail under their wing, but the practicalities of a child were not for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With Luka, however, it’s not the idea of him that Will entertains, but Luka </span>
  <em>
    <span>himself. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Will loves all forms of Luka. Not just the idea. Hannibal had seen through Will’s superficial desire to be a parent when it came to Abigail, but with Luka, Will’s desire to be a good parent runs deep through his veins. This little boy deserves the best, and if Hannibal could see that, he would have given Luka the world. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Will smiles. “He would have adored you, baby.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will gushes about the man who should have been his husband. He talks about his love for arts, culinary and literary. He talks about his pretentious taste, his bespoke suits, his musical talents, everything. He skips over the less than savoury details, but he wants Luka to see all the good in Hannibal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That night, Will doesn’t expect to see Luka’s manifestation of Hannibal. It’s not like Hannibal is a generic idea— like Christmas, or holidays, or children’s story books. Hannibal has a specific imagery, one that Luka hasn’t even fully grasped. But still, Will sees him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will chokes on a sob as an image of his lover appears at the foot of his bed. Hazy, yet present and vibrant. There’s no way. This isn’t Luka dreaming. Luka barely knows who this man is. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will forces himself to sleep. He’s just tired. It’s the anniversary of him losing Hannibal, after all. He’s bound to see things or imagine them. But this is the first year he’s consciously imagined Hannibal since he died. This isn’t real, it can’t be, Will won’t accept it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the next day… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luka tells him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luka tells Will he dreamt of Hannibal, and Will almost chokes on air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-you saw him?” Luka nods. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He was in my dream.” He mumbles. “I saw him and…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what, baby?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know…” Luka murmurs, sounding troubled as his brows knitted together. “Wanted to talk to him…” Will’s heart lurches in his chest as he envelopes Luka in his arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He would have wanted to talk to you, too.” Sighs Will, carding his hand through Luka’s hair. “Tell me more about him, Daddy…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So Will, with a nostalgic smile on his face, does just that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hides the tragic story of their love in metaphors, obscuring most of the harrowing details of their adoration. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will tells him about how much he regrets not telling Hannibal he loved him, and how he only got one chance to be content… to be happy with Hannibal before he died. He spares details about who Hannibal is— </span>
  <em>
    <span>was. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Those are things Luka either will find out on his own, or will never know about. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that night, when Luka goes to sleep, it takes only half an hour for another manifestation of Hannibal to appear before Will. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>God, how he sobs. His eyes fill with tears as he stares at Hannibal. Oh, how he misses those cheekbones. He wishes he could reach his hand out, brush his face and kiss his lips. Will never did get to steal his first and last kiss. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“H-Hannibal…” his voice croaks as he stares in awe and disbelief at what is essentially… Hannibal’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>ghost. </span>
  </em>
  <span>God, their son really is a miracle. Will never thought he’d see this man again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s a good boy, Will.” Will’s heart breaks in two. He stares, tears streaming down his face, for he doesn’t expect to actually be able to </span>
  <em>
    <span>speak </span>
  </em>
  <span>to him. This is all in Luka’s dreams after all… right? “I wish I could have known him too.” Will’s bottom lip quivers as his mouth falls open. He’s still so sure this is all in his head, but even if that is true, Will won’t miss this chance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Will sniffles, staring as his eyes trace Hannibal’s features, from sweet honey eyes to his sharp jaw. “I miss you—“ but almost as quickly as Hannibal appears, he disappears. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Daddy!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Will has no time to dwell on what just happened as a loud shriek pierces his ears. Quickly, Will rushes to Luka’s room and comes in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Baby?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I saw him again.” Will curls his arms around Luka. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Daddy?” Luka nods. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to tell me about it?” Luka shrugs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t… I couldn’t see a lot…” he explains. “Couldn’t really see him…” Luka tiredly yawns. Could it be that Luka’s manifestations are something Will can interact with? How is it possible that Luka couldn’t see him too? Will sighs, somewhat sadly. He wishes Luka could see Hannibal as well. What would Hannibal say to him? What would he say to Hannibal? Will often wonders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you ready to go back to bed?” Luka nods as Will pulls away to tuck him back into bed. “Good night, baby.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good night, Daddy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>——————————————————————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good night, baby.” Will smiles, kissing Luka’s forehead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good night, Daddy.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will sits up on his bed, reading one of Hannibal’s journals. The dogs snooze away on the other side of the bed— the side where Hannibal should be sleeping. A weighted blanket covers him, one that feels like what he imagines the weight of Hannibal around his body would feel like. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Will.” Will’s head jerks up from the journal in his hands as Hannibal, once again, stands at the foot of his bed. Will breaks down in tears again. It’s as if Hannibal’s ghost haunts his son. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hannibal.” He cries as he sees Hannibal again, for the third night in a row. “I miss you so much.” He hiccups. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I, you, beloved.” Hannibal smiles. Tears stream harder down Will’s face when Hannibal responds. He wonders if Luka can see this too. See it in his dreams. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wish I could hold you.” Will chokes on another sob as he bites his lip, regret flooding his body again as he thinks about all the opportunities they could have had. The life they could have had if Will just </span>
  <em>
    <span>ran with him. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I could really use a hug.” Hannibal chuckles softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it hard work? Being a parent?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will nods. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But it’s worth it.” He says through tears. “He fills the hole in my heart. And I, his.” Explains Will with a heartfelt smile. “I think you’d love him.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’d trust me with him?” Will nods his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love him.” Will states. “You’d never take someone I genuinely love from me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How can you be so sure?” Asks Hannibal, to which Will huffs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>love </span>
  <em>
    <span>me.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hannibal smiles in amusement, eyes doey and soft.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That I do.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wish you could meet him.” Will mumbles. “He asks a lot about you.” Will wearily smiles. “Sometimes I have to make things up, y’know?” He chuckles sheepishly. “It’s not all roses and unicorns, after all.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suppose not.” Hannibal huffs. “Did you tell him you sailed across the Atlantic for me?” Will laughs quietly again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, how I had to sugar coat that.” There’s a beat of silence before Will speaks again. “Before he wakes—“ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Daddy!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Shrieks Luka, and Will almost cries again as soon as the vision of Hannibal disappears, but he sniffles, dries his eyes, and heads straight for Luka. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Baby?” Luka is sitting up in his bed, a stuffed toy pulled to his chest. He stares at his son for a brief moment, and then his expression softens. “Did you see Daddy again?” Luka stiffly nods, tears puffy and red as Will lets out a soft chuckle. “You don’t need to be scared of him, you know.” He reminds him as he reaches out a hand to caress his cheek.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not scared…” mumbles Luka tiredly, “wish I could see him…” Will’s heart drops in his chest as he cradled Luka against his body. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wish you could see him too, baby.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>——————————————————————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish you’d cracked this.” Will sighs, pulling out a journal that Hannibal instantly recognises. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You kept it.” Will nods. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I always wonder if things could be different… if only you’d figured out the physics of time travel.” Will ponders solemnly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would there be a place for Luka in our lives? Should things have been different?” Will shrugs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would have wanted there to be.” He huffs. “I never really… seriously thought about being a father… but now I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am </span>
  </em>
  <span>one. A real one. And… I’d want him everywhere with me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It wouldn’t be safe.” Hannibal says. “I’d only put him in danger.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“We.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Corrects Will. “I wouldn’t want that for him.” Hannibal’s smile is sad, but of course he understands. Luka is very much alive, and needs Will. Needs to be protected. Hannibal, on the other hand, is a mere fragment of his past. A fragment of Luka’s imagination. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love you, Hannibal.” Will bites his tongue in an attempt to hold back his tears, but his efforts are fruitless. “I miss you more than anything.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love y—“ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Daddy!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>This is only the fourth time Luka has dreamt of Hannibal, and it doesn’t surprise him that dreams of a man he’s never known, never seen, and even in his dreams, cannot see, scare him. Or rather, confuse him. And like the last three times, Will rushes to Luka’s side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will knows Luka is scared of these dreams. Not because they’re dreams of someone Will loves, but because they’re dreams of someone who, to Luka, is just a faceless man. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” Will coos, carding his hands through Luka’s hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t see his face well…” Luka cries. “Scary…” Will lets out a huff of laughter, the soft sound ever so comforting to Luka. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, baby.” Will kisses his head as Luka closes his eyes and relaxes against his chest. “He isn’t there to scare you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know.” Murmurs Luka. “Is he here for you, Daddy?” Will still isn’t sure as to what extent Luka is aware of his dreams… but by his question, Will can safely assume he is at least aware that his dreams affect those around him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He is.” Will smiles, sweeping his hand through Luka’s hair to push it back. “And you, too. He loves you, too.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wish I could see him too, Daddy…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>——————————————————————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will finds himself waiting to see Hannibal. Sometimes, he doesn’t see him. Luka’s nightmares come around as frequently as his regular dreams, and every single time Will sees a manifestation of Luka being abandoned, he’s quick to rush to his son. To wake him from his nightmare and hold him close and comfort him. Sometimes, his dreams are normal. Holidays, celebrations, animals… Will is in most of these dreams. They look happy, and Will can’t help but sigh in relief every time he sees these. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sometimes, Will sees Hannibal. And every single time, he’s brought to tears by Hannibal’s sweet smile and his soft voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Normally, it’s on evenings where Luka has asked about him and Will has shared more stories. Admittedly, what he shares with Luka are more… fantasies than they are stories. Things he wanted for him and Hannibal, things he’d envisioned rather than things that actually happened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tonight is one of those nights. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s troubled.” Will’s head whips up to see Hannibal again. His throat tightens and his lips turn up onto a small smile, eyes soft and nostalgic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He wishes he could see you.” Will sighs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You must be saying good things about me.” Huffs Hannibal with a fond amusement as he gazes longingly at Will. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only ever good things.” Will croaks, tears welling in his eyes again. “What would you say to him,” asks Will, swallowing thickly, “if he could see you like I do?” Hannibal simply smiles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d remind him he’s loved.” Hannibal says. “That he never has to worry about being alone again. That you’ll always be there for him.” Will’s smile wobbles, heart lurching in his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Am I doing a good job?” Will utters huskily, trying to swallow back tears again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The best, beloved.” Hannibal assures. “He’s a very lucky boy, having you despite everything. I wish I could have the same.” A tear falls down Will’s face as his hands fist the sheets. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fate has a funny way of working.” Hannibal reminds him. “It seems we were always destined to be star-crossed.” Will lets out a bitter, teary huff.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wish we weren’t.” He whispers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If we weren’t, you wouldn’t have Luka.” Hannibal says fondly. “And he wouldn’t have you. There’s a silver lining to everything.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know.” Will murmurs. “He wishes he could see you. He’d love you.” Will swallows thickly, smile turning solemn at the thought of Hannibal, and that night they tumbled off the cliff. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I too, wish for nothing more than to pass along everything I want to tell him.” Then, a pause. “Would you tell him for me?” Will blinks, then smiles. From his bedside table, he pulls out a diary, one that he hasn’t written in since before seeing Hannibal in prison for the first time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What would you like to say?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>——————————————————————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This becomes… a routine, of some sorts. Will writes down as much as Hannibal wants to tell Luka, all in a journal. Luka’s dreams of Hannibal still startle him, not because it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hannibal, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but because he’s heard so much about a man he can’t quite see, can’t quite visualise. Not in the way he wants to. So often, Hannibal doesn’t stay for long before Luka awakes in the middle of the night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he always manages to have something new to say to Luka. Something loving and reassuring and encouraging. Things that Will writes down in a journal just for their son. He can see in Hannibal’s face how remorseful he is that things turned out this way, but maybe it was for the best. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Often, the letters are unfinished, because Luka awakes, confused again by the man— </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hannibal— </span>
  </em>
  <span>in his dreams. He knows it’s nothing to be scared of. Hannibal is not scary by any means. But the fact that Luka struggles so much to visualise this man that so frequently manifests in his dreams rarely fails to scare him awake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luka’s nightmares are persistent, on top of his dreams about Hannibal. He’s still settling in, after all. But Will never fails to comfort him, stay with him until he falls back asleep. Will keeps the journal from Luka for now. He doesn’t want to overwhelm Luka any further, or cause him more sleepless nights. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, he waits until Luka can sleep consistently through the night before he shares the journal with him. He’s still trying to establish how much Luka knows about his dreams. About how they come to life, about how Will can see and interact with them, about how they cease as soon as Luka wakes up. He still thinks he at least has an idea about it— why else would he ask so much about Hannibal? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Baby?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mmh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You ask a lot,” he says, “about him.” The little boy just shrugs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He made you happy, Daddy.” Will tenderly smiles, caressing his son’s face, eyes full of adoration. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” He confirms. “He did. A lot.” It’s not a lie. Despite all the heartache they had, how toxic and destructive their relationship was, Hannibal still made him happy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does he still make you happy, Daddy?” Will blinks, taken aback by the question. Perhaps Luka knows more about his dreams than Will thinks— asking about Hannibal just so he can dream about him, just so Will can see him. It warms Will’s heart, yet breaks it at the same time, that Luka would scare himself like that just to give Will a chance to see the man he loves. He’s such a sweet boy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why do you ask, baby?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can see him.” Luka mumbles, shyly looking away. And that’s when Will confirms that Luka is </span>
  <em>
    <span>more than aware </span>
  </em>
  <span>of his dreams. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He still makes me happy.” Will answers honestly, pulling a gentle smile from Luka. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What does he say to you?” Will huffs, amused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s more what he says to </span>
  <em>
    <span>you, </span>
  </em>
  <span>darlin’.” He stands up, heads to his room, and retrieves the journal, full of letters for Luka. “This is for you.” He says when he comes back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s things Daddy wants you to know. Things he wants to say to you.” Luka’s hands tremble as he looks at Will with eyes soft with sentiment. It’s overwhelming to feel real love from two people— </span>
  <em>
    <span>parents— </span>
  </em>
  <span>one of which he's never even met. “Open it.” Encourages Will. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Daddy tells me you’re scared. Scared to be alone, scared Daddy will leave and never come back.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Will reads. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You’ll never be alone, Luka. Daddy loves you too much for that to happen, never forget it. Daddy promised you a forever home, and he means it. I wish I too, could have been a part of your forever home.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Will, in the corner of his eye, can just about see the bright smile on Luka’s face, relieved and comforted. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You’re a good boy, Luka. Like no other I have encountered. You make your Daddy very proud, and me, too. If only I could watch you grow as well.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“You woke up here.” Will chuckles sheepishly. </span><em><span>“</span></em><span>Daddy</span> <span>didn’t get to finish.” He laughs softly, flicking the page to the next letter. </span></p><p>
  <span>——————————————————————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It continues like this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the nights Will sees Hannibal, he makes sure to prepare a letter for Luka. Sometimes, Luka manages to stay asleep, but other times, he still wakes up scared. His nightmares are still prevalent too, but slowly, they begin to subside. It’s a relief to see dreams instead of nightmares, to see comfort instead of fear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Every time Luka dreams of Hannibal, Will sees him. His dreams come to life, and as a result, so do Will’s. They talk, and Will continues to write down things Hannibal wants to say to Luka. And the next morning, Luka will get the journal to read the next letter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s bittersweet that Luka can’t see Hannibal for himself. Can’t see the man his Daddy had fallen in love with, can’t see the man his Daddy had lost. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But at least he still gets letters from Hannibal</span>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Don't forget to check out my <a href="https://twitter.com/CarnivalMirai">Twitter!</a> where I shitpost and write threadfics and share angst LOL</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>